2024 Football Week 16B:  Homeless Hornets Bring Home Another Title

San Diego Section teams were 1-2 in state championship games last week, with Lincoln’s hard fought, 28-26 win over Pittsburg at Mission Viejo Saddleback College in Division 1-AA a tribute to coach David Dunn and his staff.

Dunn coached the Hornets to a second D1-AA title in three seasons and their 35^th victory in the last 39 games.

The 12-2 Hornets kept the North Coast Section Pittsburg Pirates at a distance, never trailing and completing a year in which they never were at home, for practice or a game.

The playing surface at Vic Player Stadium on the Hornets’ campus was declared unsafe, so Lincoln bused for games to Southwestern College, nine miles away in Chula Vista, and they bused to more than one venue for practice.

According to Hornets assistant coach Brian Crusoe, Lincoln practiced at Logan Memorial Education Center, a soccer field with no goal posts or correct yard markings; San Diego State, and Crawford.

“Never had a season like it,” understated Dunn, who played at Morse and Fresno State before being a fifth-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1995 and playing seven seasons as a wide receiver-tight end in the NFL.

“We said we’d be road warriors and we backed it up,” added offensive coordinator Jason Carter to Don Norcross of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Lincoln took to the low forties football temperature and rushed for 272 yards in 64 attempts.  Quarterback Akili Smith, Jr., completed 6 of 11 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 44 yards in 10 carries, including the Hornets’ final touchdown with 3:44 remaining. The score culminated a12-play, 80-yard drive.

Leading rusher Aden Jackson, who had gained 1,462 yards and scored 20 touchdowns, did not play, out with an ankle injury.  Donald Reed, Jr., who hadn’t handled the ball since Week 5, stepped in and contributed 126 yards in 21 carries.  Junior Curtis had 121 yards in 28 as the deep and talented Hornets mounted a stout running attack.

Akili Smith, Jr., (left) and Lincoln  teammates celebrate with trophy after state Division 1AA championship.  Courtesy, Mark Tennis, Cal-Hi Sports.

DIVISION V-AA

Central Coast Section champion Carmel defeated El Capitan, 48-7, at the Fullerton Union High School District Stadium.

“We have nothing to be sad about,” Vaqueros coach Ron Burner told John Maffei of the Union-Tribune.  “We played hard.  We competed.  I’m sorry it had to end this way for the seniors…but we’re still (San Diego Section) champions.”

DIVISION VI-A

Tuolumne Summerville of the Sac-Joaquin Section, defeated Monte Vista, 38-21, at the Fullerton stadium.

Coach Ron Hamamoto’s Monarchs were treading water with a 5-5 record at the end of the regular season and were about to turn out the lights.

But Rancho Buena Vista opted out of the playoffs and the Monarchs went in as a 12 seed in Division 5 of the San Diego Section playoffs.

The Monarchs gathered and went deep into the post season with five straight wins, along the way elevating Hamamoto to No. 3 among San Diego County coaches in all-time wins.

Hamamoto’s 246 victories trail the 339 by Herb Meyer and 248 by John Carroll.  Ron passed Bennie Edens (238) and Rob Gilster (243) this season.

“I’m proud of what this group accomplished,” Hamamoto told John Maffei. “We improved so much over the course of the season.”

Monte Vista became the fifth team in County history to play a 16th game, following La Jolla Country Day in 2016, Steele Canyon, 2017, Lincoln, 2018, and El Camino, 2019.